A Christmas Miracle
by Astraskies
Summary: Arthur hates Christmas for many reasons, until he gets a reason to love it.


A Christmas that a child would wish for would surely be white, with snow falling all around, covering the streets and the rooftops, a spell cast by Jack Frost as he ran down the streets during the night, tapping on windows and freezing the roads. It would be waking up at the crack of dawn, if not earlier, full of excitement to open their presents and to delve into their stockings and to see what Santa had brought this fateful year. It would be hot chocolate and mince pies, a mouthwatering Christmas dinner with a laughing family, pulling crackers and telling odd jokes. It would be the sort of Christmas that belonged in a card; picturesque, perfect, and imaginary.

Reality was harsh, and Arthur knew that for a fact. Nothing ever turned out as one wanted it to. Nothing was perfect, bonds were breakable, and love was laughable. Christmas wasn't a time of love and joy - it was a time of spending money, of companies and retailers making profit from sales of frantic Christmas shopping. No longer was Christmas a time of happiness to spend with family, to spread love, joy, and goodwill - it was a retail ploy; all everybody wanted was presents. Nobody actually spent time with each other, opening their presents and then staying glues to their phones.

Christmas was stupid. Arthur hated it. Christmas was a waste of time and money, period.

Everybody dreamt of a White Christmas; but this was London. When was the last time it had snowed here? And that, during Christmas? Arthur was sure it was around 2008, if not earlier. And with Global Warming happening, there was a shit of a chance of there ever actually being a White Christmas again: at least in this part of the globe.

It was Christmas today. And Arthur would spend it the same as he had done for the past six years. Alone at home, drinking tea, reading. While hearing the happy sounds and laughter of his neighbours and seeing families making merry in the streets outside.

But Arthur didn't need company. He was fine on his own. And he despised Christmas, anyway. Time for goodwill and family be damned; it was a time to chew people out of money, a time of awkward family gatherings where people always felt uncomfortable and got picked on by various relatives. Christmas was a time of being abandoned. Fuck Christmas. Fuck family. Fuck everything.

Well, he would spend Christmas drinking tea and reading at home if he could get home. It was the early hours of the morning of Christmas Day, and Arthur desperately needed to get home. And by early hours, it was meant about 2am in the morning. The public transport were all closed since it was Christmas, or Arthur would've taken a night bus home. But since that wasn't an option, it looked like he'd have to walk all of around five miles back home, in the dark. He didn't even completely know the way. It was 2am, he was alone on a deserted street (since everyone was rightfully in their beds), it was chilly, and he didn't even have a coat.

The night was dark. The sky was empty, the stars and moon hidden beneath dark clouds, an encompass of grey-black. It was pretty much a pathetic fallacy to how Arthur was feeling.

Merry fucking Christmas to him.

Arthur sighed, and began walking down the street, trying to vaguely remember the directions that he'd looked at. After a few minutes of silent walking, and a left turn, Arthur heard fumbled and footsteps behind him. Cautiously, he turned around, his hand reaching inside his pocket for anything that could be used as a potential weapon in the case of an assault or mugging.

He found that he needn't be so alarmed. The noise was actually stemming from a man walking fairly normally behind him, Arthur registered as he turned around. At least, he didn't seem to be a threat. The man was a blonde like himself, and was fumbling inside one of the pockets of his coat. He stopped, lifted out a bunch of keys, and smiled widely. It seemed that he had found what he'd been looking for.

Arthur turned back around, paying the man no more mind. He was just probably another party-goer like himself, making their way make from a Christmas Eve party. Since the guy was pulling his keys out, Arthur guessed he was living in one of the block of flats they were walking past.

This guy got to go home; why not him? Oh yeah, probably because he had let that bloody frog drag him to that nasty Christmas Eve party. And the wanker had ditched him afterwards, leaving him with no way to get back home, since he had left his car at his residence.

As Arthur continued walking, the man from before jogged up to him. Arthur turned to look at him.

"Hey!" The man smiled. In the dim light of a nearby street lamp, Arthur could see that the man was very handsome. He had bright blue eyes, that resembled the sky on a clear day, and he wore glasses. His hair was golden blonde, with a cowlick springing out on top at the front. He seemed to be fairly well built, he had amazing cheekbones, and his smile may have been the most beautiful thing Arthur had ever laid eyes upon.

Arthur was already lusting for this random stranger who apparently liked randomly greeting people in the middle of the night. Or ungodly early morning. Whichever.

"Hello," Arthur replied hesitatingly, staring at Blue Eyes confusedly, and on guard. Who knew, maybe this fine looking man was actually a mugger - life was a bitch. And Arthur was outside alone in the middle of the night. He probably made for a good target.

Blue Eyes rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, before beginning to talk. "Well, you see, I couldn't help but notice that you seemed lost. And you're all alone. And it's like, 2am, on Christmas Day."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "That still doesn't explain why you flanked me down and decided to talk to me. Shouldn't you be at home right now?"

Shrugging, Blue Eyes said, "Yeah, I should, I was returning home right now, actually. I live over there," he pointed to a block of flats on the street behind them. So Arthur had been right about his previous revelation. "But, anyway, I thought you looked lost and that you'd appreciate a ride home. So, I, yeah, walked over, I guess?"

Arthur continued to look at Blue Eyes disbelievingly. "You don't sound too sure about that."

"What? No, no, I'm sure. So, er, would you like a ride home? I don't think anybody should be walking home alone in the dark, especially on Christmas. I mean, it's Christmas! Goodwill to all men, and all that jazz!" Blue Eyes exclaimed.

However, Arthur was still suspicious. "How do I not know you're a thief or a kidnapper, or some other vagrant of the like?"

Blue Eyes looked at him blankly. "Um, Because I'm not? Also, c'mon dude, I'm sure you don't wanna walk home in this weather. I mean, look at you, you don't even have a coat!"

"Thank you for reminding me of that. Really, I didn't know at all," Arthur retorted, gritting his teeth. Just then, a particularly ferocious wind blew, making Arthur shiver.

He considered the offer. A ride home meant he wouldn't have to walk five miles, or around that amount, since he didn't even know the way home from here that well. Blue Eyes seemed friendly enough. And if he did turn out to be a thief, Arthur could just kick him in the balls really hard and get the fuck away.

"Fine. Thank you," he said.

Immediately, Blue Eyes' face broke into a grin. "Sweet! I'll just go get my car." He was about to go off, when Arthur stopped him by tapping him on the shoulder as he was walking away, garnering his attention.

"I still do not know why you're helping me though." Arthur told Blue Eyes.

"Oh, simple. I just don't want anybody to be walking home alone in the dark, especially in this weather, and without a coat. Offering a ride is the least I can do, and I'd hope anybody would do the same for me if I was in that position." Blue Eyes replied earnestly.

Arthur turned his eyes downwards. This guy seemed to have a genuinely good heart, as well as amazing looks. Goddamnit, why did he have to seem perfect in every way? He was so nice.

"That's quite lovely of you," Arthur muttered. When he heard no reply, he looked up, only to see that Blue Eyes had already gone off to get his car, and had not heard him.

"I'm Alfred, by the way. Alfred F. Jones. Oh, and I'm 23. Years old, I mean." Blue Eyes told him, once he had returned with his car, and Arthur had given him his address. He was currently sitting in the passenger seat, and Blue Eyes- no, Alfred, was driving.

"Arthur Kirkland. I'm 25. Nice to meet you," he told Alfred.

"The pleasure is returned," Alfred turned away from the road for a moment to smile at Arthur.

"Getting into a car with someone without even knowing their name," Arthur mused out loud. "What would my mother say?"

Alfred chuckled. "Well, hey at least you know my name now."

It was strange; it had been so long - if ever, in fact - that Arthur had gotten along with someone so well. Him and Alfred seemed to become pretty comfortable with other straight away, which was very unusual for Arthur.

The ride was full of banter being tossed back and forth between the two, and by the time they had reached Arthur's house, Arthur could say he had gained a new friend.

He gave Alfred a heartfelt thank you for the ride - if he had not been there, Arthur would still be out on the streets, probably lost.

"It was no hassle," Alfred insisted. "I'm just glad I could be of help. So, Arthur, what've you got planned for today?"

Arthur looked at Alfred blankly.

"It's Christmas, remember?"

Realisation hit Arthur. It was indeed Christmas. "Oh, yes. Nothing much, really. Just reading, with a cup of tea. Might watch a movie."

Alfred gaped at him. "That's it? What about your family? Friends? Mom, dad, isn't anybody coming over?"

Stiffening, Arthur replied that no, nobody would be coming over, and that he would be alone. He was annoyed now; Alfred had mentioned his family - he'd rather not talk about them.

He curtly wished Alfred a Merry Christmas, and was about to step through his door, which he has unlocked, but was stopped by Alfred shouting "WAIT!" and grabbing his hand.

Arthur spun around. "What?" He hissed, on edge.

"Would you maybe like to spend Christmas with me?" Alfred asked shyly.

Arthur froze, taken aback. He had certainly not been expecting that.

"But..why?" He asked. Why would Alfred ask someone he'd literally just met to spend a holiday which meant so much to most people with him?

Alfred fiddled with his coat buttons. "I kind of- I kind of like you. A lot. Maybe love." Immediately, Alfred cut off the rest, hiding his face behind his hands. "Oh god, I feel like a schoolgirl."

Softly, Arthur pushed Alfred's hands away from the lad's face. He didn't know why, or how, but this man had grown on him so much already. Arthur knew that he felt something for him, something which extended beyond lust.

"Look at us," he muttered. "Two grown men, acting like school children."

Alfred just looked at him, those blue eyes for which Arthur had nicknamed him before he had come to know his actual name, widened and curious, as well as nervous.

"I think I'd like to spend Christmas with you Alfred. After all, Christmas is meant to be spent with the ones you love, no? And I think...maybe..."

Without giving Arthur a warning, Alfred engulfed him in a gigantic, bone crushing hug that knocked the air out of Arthur's lungs.

Thankfully, Alfred soon pulled away, enabling Arthur to breathe once more.

"Really?" Alfred asked him, eyes wide and shining.

"Really. Let me just get my coat first, Blue Eyes," Arthur called as he trudged off inside his house to obtain his coat.

"Wait, blue eyes? What's that about?" Alfred shouted in after him.

Arthur waited until he was back outside, and had locked his house, before answering.

"It's because you have blue eyes, you twat."

At this, the ever-present smile on Alfred's face seemed to grow even larger - how the lad managed to smile so big and so much, Arthur couldn't imagine - and he grabbed Arthur's hand, running to his car and dragging Arthur along with him. For once, Arthur let himself be pulled along and didn't try to resist.

The day was still young. Very young, in fact. It wasn't even 4am yet. Since he was 17, and had been kicked out by his family on Christmas Day for coming out as gay, Arthur had hated Christmas with a burning passion. But maybe spending today, spending Christmas, with Alfred, this wonderful, energetic, bright, joyful soul, would begin to redeem the day for Arthur. Maybe meeting Alfred was Arthur's Christmas miracle.

Every Christmas for the past seven years, Arthur had received no gifts, unless he'd treated himself to something, like a new book. Every day, for the past seven years, Arthur had pretended he was fine alone, but had wanted for the same thing: companionship and love.

This Christmas, Arthur had received the best present he could ever have been given.


End file.
